---
title: "Office Move Cost Estimator — Class A Atlas"
description: "Defensible first-cut budget for an office move."
canonical: https://classa.info/tools/move-cost
pageType: tool
lastUpdated: 2026-05-29T16:17:29.065Z
license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)."
---

> Defensible first-cut budget for an office move.

## TL;DR

- Defensible first-cut budget for an office move.
- Itemized across movers, IT relocation, furniture, insurance, downtime, and contingency.
- Returns low / mid / high band plus per-employee cost.

# Office Move Cost Estimator

## TL;DR

- Defensible first-cut budget for an office move.
- Itemized across movers, IT relocation, furniture, insurance, downtime, and contingency.
- Returns low / mid / high band plus per-employee cost.

## Methodology

Movers scale on current sq ft (~$2.50/sf) plus $75/employee, multiplied by a distance factor (local 1.0, regional 1.6, cross-country 2.4). IT relocation uses per-head benchmarks for low/medium/high complexity, with a 30% premium cross-country. Furniture is sized at $18/sf of new floorplate. Insurance/permits is 4% of physical-goods spend. Downtime loss is headcount × $320/day × 1.5 / 3 / 5 days. Final mid figure adds a 10% contingency.

## How to use it

- **Enter sizing** — Headcount, current sq ft, and new sq ft set the base estimate.
- **Pick origin and destination** — Local / regional / cross-country drives the logistics multiplier.
- **Choose IT complexity** — Server room and lab moves are 'high'; standard office is 'medium'.
- **Decide on furniture** — Whether you're buying new (FF&E) or reusing existing.

## Frequently asked questions

****Is fit-out included?****
: No — [fit-out](/topics/fit-out-capex)">fit-out (construction, MEP, finishes) is a separate capex line. Use the Fit-out Budget Estimator alongside this tool.

****What about lease overlap?****
: Not modeled here. Add overlap rent separately if both leases run concurrently.

****How accurate is the contingency?****
: 10% covers normal slippage; budget 15% for cross-country or any move with significant IT/server complexity.

****Per-employee cost — is that net new?****
: Yes. It's the total move cost divided by current headcount, useful for board approval and per-FTE benchmarking.

## Related topics

- [**Fit-out Capex**](/topics/fit-out-capex) — How to budget, sequence, and govern [Class A](/glossary/class-a) office fit-out capex.

---

Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/tools/move-cost), updated 2026-05-29T16:17:29.065Z.